The Steve Jackson game, Ogre, always seemed to lend itself to miniatures wargaming. The rules were simple, clean, and precise and the number of miniatures needed was minimal. The original game offered pretty simple terrain. The follow-up, GEV, improved on that.
The license for manufacture has been held by Martian Metals and Ral Partha. Currently, the license appears to be held by Steve Jackson Games and can be purchased from Warehouse 23.
The original miniatures were based on the counter silhouettes created by Winchell Chung. Over the years, other vehicles have been added but the original designs still remain relatively consistent.
The Martian Metals pieces had thin barrels for tank guns. Howitzers were little more than a rod attached to a base and had a tendency to break. Ral Partha strengthened the gun barrels and added more detail to the howitzers. The incarnation of the Ogre miniatures now features plastic Ogres to replace the earlier pewter pieces. Below, an example of the plastic Mk III Ogre alongside an earlier Ral Partha version of the same piece. The main differences I noticed were less detail in the treads with no detail on the interior side and the rear and forward portions of the Ogre attached.
Other smaller pieces are still cast in metal. They are attractively sculpted. The pieces are a little too small to work well with the massive Battletech pieces even though the scale is supposed to be the same. I have found that the infantry figures for Battletech appear to me to be a little bit larger.
For fans of Ogre miniatures, these are the natural choice. The Mega Force toys by Kenner also mix well with these. With dedicated miniatures support, Ogre provides a nice alternative to Battletech.
